Chapter 16: Position

Shadow was at the mountain's edge, the afternoon sky gleaming blue down on him. The sweat glistened from his head; the strain of holding Kyra was overwhelming. She didn't scream, swing around, or even move from the distance down, the twisted branches and the rock solid ground frightened her to no end.

"Shadow, don't let go!" He couldn't even answer to her pitiful request, her body beginning to rise since he had finally found a place to support himself.

"This…is only hard…because…" He couldn't finish as her hand scooped away rocks on the side for grip. The tumble down of her support scared her all the more, her breathing beginning to echo.

"Shadow!" The frantic gray hedgehog was starting to cry, she started to move.

"Don't…!" He finally had her halfway up, still holding on incase she fell. The rock still moved, but that was the all. She shoved herself over the ledge, looking back at what her fate could have been. The black hedgehog stood, only to once again feel the heat from Kyra against his body. She snuggled her head into his tuff of fur, truly grateful for his heroic act…yes, heroic. She left go surprisingly quick; starting to understand that hugging a dark hedgehog wasn't the best way to get on their mind. He turned and walked, oblivious to the slip of Kyra. A loose rock fell first, alerting him to turn. He sighed as she fell, far…

"Shadow!" The scream traveled far, deep into the forest. She slipped by a branch, tearing a piece of her shirt and exposing some of the red liquid that runs within her. She closed her eyes, expecting it to be all over soon, but she stopped and felt…warmth.

The afternoon glow gleamed on the master emerald, it's fate still in the balance of the echidna's stamina. He never prowled the forest, or completed him nighttime jobs, because the danger is here, right in front of him. No sleep made him weary, but Knuckles knew if he let any weakness, any weakness at all, show, they would jump. He didn't know why they didn't come out at night; they probably had knowledge that he has good night vision. Plus, he had no clue that Sonic was here.

"This isn't fair!" Sonic was in on the argument between father and daughter, his friend is at stake. Marko, Sarah's father, wouldn't give up on his revenge, anger surpassing the boiling points of the two defending hedgehogs. "I'm not going to stand around and let you take some stupid anger out on an echidna who probably doesn't even know who you guys are or what you're talking about!" Marko gave his everything to this, his back turned and his eyes to the side enough to see them both.

"This isn't about knowledge anymore, it's about taking away what should have been ours decades ago. If we can't have it, no one can." He walked out…just like that…gone to the battlefield.

"Father!" Sarah pleaded, her call ignored.

"I'm going to do what's right." Sonic motioned forward, leading them in the track of Marko, but heading a different direction, a different plan in head.

Kyra opened her eyes, staring into blood red eyes like her own. But close up, they seemed to be more of ruby red, a glistening that didn't match fine, shined jewelry or even the shine of the moon at night. Shadow had caught her; he raced to the bottom to the expected place that she would land.

"Why didn't I just do that before?" He set her down and jumped to the top of the nearest tree. He came back down with the information that he needed, and brought her forward, her shock still flowing out of her. But Shadow didn't notice that he had never let go of her hand when he was bringing her forward.

"Shadow." Her voice sounded romantic, trying to do something she knew she had no chance at. He turned around, freaked out about how she sounded to notice his white glove occupied with gray. He dropped her hand immediately and ran shot forward; truly embarrassed and shocked, red brushed his cheeks when he stopped. He had to wait for her, which made him regret running.

Ok, another chapter down and I have no idea how long my story will be, but I know how it will end.
I think...I'm losing my fans...